Just last week, HP Vertica wrapped up it’s first-ever Big Data Conference. The conference was the biggest opportunity to date for InterWorks and other Vertica partners to share their working knowledge of Vertica and network with each other. The Big Data Conference also featured several prominent members of HP and Vertica staff and leadership, allowing the Vertica community to connect with creators and contributors like never before. Much of the InterWorks Business Intelligence Team attended the conference, so here are a few of our key takeaways:

Mostly Technical Vertica Users Attended

What set the HP Vertica Big Data Conference apart from so many other data conferences was the sheer number of technical users present. The majority of attendees were, in some shape or form, in technical roles within their respective organizations. Included were multitudes of database developers, engineers and analysts. This made for some really valuable feedback and questions surrounding Vertica and the way in which it can be used. Because attendees were so knowledgeable, we were able to delve deeper into client needs than ever before.

Above: InterWorks Database Engineer, Josh Varner gives a demo of Vertex, a new Vertica management tool, to HP staff.

Vertica Partners Made a Show of Force

Another impressive staple of the conference was the numerous partners and sponsors supporting Vertica. Names like Accenture, Tableau Software, Informatica and, of course, InterWorks all showed up in force to evangelize their partnership with Vertica.

Perhaps most impressive were the capabilities each partner possessed. InterWorks, for example, got to show off several of our competencies to attendees, including a brand new Vertica tool mentioned later on in this post. Having all of Vertica’s partners in one place reinforced the magnitude of all that Vertica and its partners are capable of.

Vertex Unveiled

With so many Vertica users gathered in one place, we thought it was the perfect time to unveil a brand new Vertica tool that will make Vertica management a breeze. Vertex is a web-based, Vertica management tool that gives you unprecedented insight into how your Vertica environment is operating. Users will be able to check cluster status, perform query analysis, explore objects and perform a variety of administrative and diagnostic tasks. In a nutshell, the goal of Vertex is to allow for maximum optimization of users’ Vertica environments via a straightforward and intuitive application.

Don’t take our word for it though, ask the countless people who stopped by the InterWorks booth to witness a demo of our Vertex Beta. Vertex even piqued the interest of several members of HP and Vertica staff. We’re excited that Vertex was so well received, and we’re confident that there are some big things in store for it as it continues to grow.

You can still register for the Vertex Beta version at http://verticatools.com/.

Moving Forward with Vertica

The 2013 HP Vertica Big Data Conference was an incredible experience, deepening our understanding of Vertica users’ successes, challenges and needs. Considering this was the first ever Vertica-centric conference, we’d say it went off pretty well. It makes us incredibly excited for next year’s conference, which is bound to be even bigger and better than this year’s conference. Until then, InterWorks will be ready to take on new and exciting Vertica challenges through top-notch consulting and training services.

If you’re ready to talk to someone about your Vertica needs, get in touch with us today!